Sandal toe post and strap system

ABSTRACT

One embodiment of the present invention relates to an open toe footwear system including a base member, a toe post, a strap member, and two lateral foot posts. The strap member is coupled to both the toe post and the two lateral foot posts. The toe post and two lateral foot posts are coupled to the base member. The toe post includes a structural toe portion and a padded toe portion. The structural toe portion is composed of a material with a particular hardness and structural rigidity. The padded toe portion is composed of a soft material configured to minimize chaffing and bruising of a user&#39;s skin. The structural toe portion and padded toe portion are intercoupled to form a conventionally shaped cylindrical toe post. The intercoupling between the structural toe portion and the padded toe portion may include a bonding member configured to increase adhesion and prevent stretching and/or translation.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/359,100 filed Jun. 28, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to open toe footwear. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved toe post and strap system for a sandal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Open toe footwear comprises various footwear systems that include a supportive base member disposed under the sole of the foot along with a retaining system to hold the foot on the base member. One particular type of open toe footwear is a sandal or flip-flop that includes a specific triangular foot retaining system. A sandal or flip-flop may also be referred to as a Zori, a thong, or a three point strap configuration sandal. The foot retaining system of a flip-flop commonly includes a toe post and two lateral foot posts intercoupled via a strap member. The toe post and lateral foot posts are coupled to the base member. The toe post is positioned on the base member so as to align with the region of the foot between the first and second toes. The lateral foot posts are positioned on the base member on either side of the user's foot with respect to the toe post. The strap member extends between the toe post and each of the respective lateral foot posts. The frontal region of a user's foot is thereby retained between base member and the strap member via the toe post and the lateral foot posts. This form of frontal foot retainment enables a user's foot to efficiently articulate about the metatarsal region by allowing the heel region to separate from the base member. One alternative form of sandal and open toe footwear includes a strap member extending between two lateral foot posts but not including a toe post.

Open toe footwear systems are often worn barefoot, or without fabric foot coverings such as socks. One of the problems commonly associated with open toe footwear and sandals is discomfort due to chaffing, bruising and/or rubbing of the toe post and/or strap member on the skin of a user's foot. This chaffing occurs particularly with rubber-strapped sandals while a user is walking or articulating the foot within the sandal. Various improved sandal and open toe footwear systems have attempted to minimize or reduce the chaffing by adjusting the material compositions of the toe post and/or strap members of the sandal. Unfortunately, when the material composition is made softer so as to minimize skin irritation, the structural rigidity of the toe post and/or the strap members is reduced. When the structural rigidity does not meet a particular threshold, the strap member and toe posts will not maintain their shape and necessary separation from the base when the sandal is separate from a user's foot. If the strap member and toe post do not maintain separation from the base, the act of putting on the sandal will be made more cumbersome. In addition, the structural integrity of the sandal is critical in maintaining the long term durability and proper shaping of the sandal, which is critical in maintaining correct fit and gait ergonomics.

Therefore, there is a need in the industry for an improved sandal and/or open toe footwear system that maintains structural integrity of the toe post and/or strap members while providing optimal fit and comfort with minimal chaffing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to open toe footwear. One embodiment of the present invention relates to an open toe footwear system including a base member, a toe post, a strap member, and two lateral foot posts. The toe post and two lateral foot posts are coupled to the base member. The strap member is coupled between the toe post and the two lateral foot posts. The toe post includes a structural toe portion and a padded toe portion. The structural toe portion is composed of a material with a particular hardness and structural rigidity. The padded toe portion is composed of a soft material configured to minimize chaffing and bruising of a user's skin. The structural toe portion and padded toe portion are intercoupled to form a conventionally shaped cylindrical toe post. The intercoupling between the structural toe portion and the padded toe portion may include a bonding member configured to increase adhesion and prevent stretching and/or translation. The strap member also includes a structural strap portion and a padded strap portion. The structural strap portion and the padded strap portion are intercoupled to form a conventionally shaped strap member configured to retain a user's foot during operation. Various patterns of padded toe portions and padded strap portions have been contemplated as alternative embodiments of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention represent a significant advance in the field of open toe footwear systems. Conventional open toe footwear composed of rubber or similar moldable materials often causes chaffing and/or uncomfortable rubbing and/or bruising upon the surface of a user's skin. Improved open toe footwear systems attempt to address this issue of comfort but fail to overcome the problem without affecting the structural integrity of the strap member and toe post with respect to the base member. Embodiments of the present invention provide a structurally supported strap member and toe post that include padded portions specifically configured to minimize chaffing of a user's skin. In addition, conventional sandals are commonly sized loosely to avoid rubbing, whereas embodiments of the present invention may be precisely fit as a result of the integrated padding.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth or will become more fully apparent in the description that follows and in the appended claims. The features and advantages may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Furthermore, the features and advantages of the invention may be learned by the practice of the invention or will be obvious from the description, as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description of the invention can be understood in light of the Figures, which illustrate specific aspects of the invention and are a part of the specification. Together with the following description, the Figures demonstrate and explain the principles of the invention. In the Figures, the physical dimensions may be exaggerated for clarity. The same reference numerals in different drawings represent the same element, and thus their descriptions will be omitted.

FIGS. 1A-B illustrate a top and bottom view of a flip-flop style sandal in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A-C illustrate a side, top, and profile view of a flip-flop style sandal in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A-C illustrate a side, top, and profile view of a flip-flop style sandal in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A-B illustrate a side, top, and profile view of a flip-flop style sandal in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A-B illustrate a side, top, and profile view of a flip-flop style sandal in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 6A-D illustrate a schematic side, schematic top, perspective top, and perspective bottom views of an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 7A-B illustrate a perspective top and perspective bottom view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to open toe footwear. One embodiment of the present invention relates to an open toe footwear system including a base member, a toe post, a strap member, and two lateral foot posts. The toe post and two lateral foot posts are coupled to the base member. The strap member is coupled to both the toe post and the two lateral foot posts. The toe post includes a structural toe portion and a padded toe portion. The structural toe portion is composed of a material with a particular hardness and structural rigidity. The padded toe portion is composed of a soft material configured to minimize chaffing and bruising of a user's skin. The structural toe portion and padded toe portion are intercoupled to form a conventionally shaped cylindrical toe post. The intercoupling between the structural toe portion and the padded toe portion may include a bonding member configured to increase adhesion and prevent stretching and/or translation. The strap member also includes a structural strap portion and a padded strap portion. The structural strap portion and the padded strap portion are intercoupled to form a conventionally shaped strap member configured to retain a user's foot during operation. Various patterns of padded toe portions and padded strap portions have been contemplated as alternative embodiments of the present invention.

Also, while embodiments are described in reference to a flip-flop style open toe footwear system, it will be appreciated that the teachings of the present invention are applicable to other areas, such as other open toe footwear systems including but not limited to strapped sandals, slippers, partial moccasins, etc.

The following terms are defined as follows:

DEFINITIONS

Open toe footwear system—any form of human footwear configured to keep the user's toes exposed, including sandals, flip-flops, thongs, and certain slippers.

Reference is initially made to FIGS. 1A-B, which illustrate a top and bottom view of a flip-flop style sandal, designated generally at 100. The sandal 100 includes a base member 105, a toe post 110, a strap member 120, and a left and right lateral foot post 125, 130. The base member 105 may be composed of any material, including a rubber composite material. The base member 105 is shaped to correspond to a user's foot. The toe post 110 and lateral foot posts 125, 130 are coupled to the base member 105 via a cap disposed on the bottom side of the base member 105 (see FIG. 1B). The cap effectively chocks each of the toe post and lateral foot posts to the base member. Various alternative coupling schemes between the base member, toe post, and lateral foot posts may also be practiced in accordance with the present invention, including but not limited to surface stitching and covered bottom caps. The strap member 120 is intercoupled between the toe post 110 and each of the lateral foot posts 125, 130. The illustrated strap member 120 is shaped to cover and encircle a portion of a user's foot so as to couple the front portion of a user's foot to the base member 105. The strap member extends from the toe post over and around a user's foot to each of the lateral foot posts 125, 130. The toe post 110 and/or the strap member 120 include both a structural portion and a padded portion. Various embodiments of structural and padded portions will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2-5.

Reference is next made to FIGS. 2A-C, which illustrate a side, top, and profile view of a flip-flop style sandal, designated generally at 200. The sandal 200 also includes a strap member 220 and a toe post 210. The toe post 210 includes both a structural toe portion 214 and a padded toe portion 212. The padded toe portion 212 is disposed on the external surface of a portion of the structural toe portion 214. The structural toe portion 214 is cylindrically shaped and may be composed of a material with a particular hardness/durometer that maintains a particular structural rigidity (60-70 ESCA), including but not limited to plastic and rubber. The padded toe portion 212 may be composed of a softer material with a particular hardness/durometer that minimizes chaffing with a user's skin (20-40 ESCA), including but not limited to TPU, PVC, Silicone, and TPE. In the illustrated embodiment, the padded toe portion 212 is superficially wrapped so as to substantially cover the proximal side of the structural toe portion 214 leaving a gap on the distal side (see side and cross sectional views). The particular shape of the padded toe portion 212 is curved to correspond to the pattern of rubbing that occurs between a user's foot and the toe post 210. Therefore, the surface area of the padded toe portion 212 is configured to correspond to the location on the toe post 210 with the highest potential to cause chaffing. The illustrated padded toe portion 212 includes a wider region in proximity to the strap member 220 and a narrowed region in proximity to the base member 205. The strap member 220 in the illustrated embodiment includes a single composition with a sufficient hardness to maintain structural integrity.

In any of the following embodiments, a bonding member (not shown) may also be disposed on or within the toe post to enhance adhesion between the structural toe portion 214 and the padded toe portion 212. The bonding member may include a mesh piece of fabric disposed between the structural toe portion 214 and the padded toe portion 212. Alternatively, the bonding member may include a string disposed within the center of the toe post. The bonding member is coupled to both the structural and padded toe portions 214, 212 so as to increase the reliability of the adhesion and prevent translation. For example, over time the padded toe portion 212 may slip or translate with respect to the structural toe portion 214, negatively affecting the overall performance of the system. This form of slipping is common between materials of different hardness/durometer levels. The bonding member is configured to prevent slipping by enhancing the adhesion between the portions 212, 214 of the toe post 210.

Reference is next made to FIGS. 3A-C, which illustrate a side, top, and profile view of a flip-flop style sandal, designated generally at 300. The sandal 300 also includes a strap member 320 and a toe post 310. The toe post 310 includes both a structural toe portion 314 and a padded toe portion 312. The padded toe portion 312 is disposed on the external surface of a portion of the structural toe portion 314. The structural toe portion 314 is cylindrically shaped and may be composed of a material with a particular hardness/durometer that maintains a particular structural rigidity (60-70 ESCA), including but not limited to plastic and rubber. The padded toe portion 312 may be composed of a softer material with a particular hardness/durometer that minimizes chaffing with a user's skin (20-40 ESCA), including but not limited to TPU, PVC, Silicone, and TPE. In the illustrated embodiment, the padded toe portion 312 is superficially wrapped so as to completely encircle and cover the structural toe portion 314 (see side and cross sectional views). The strap member 320 in the illustrated embodiment includes a single composition with a sufficient hardness to maintain structural integrity.

Reference is next made to FIGS. 4A-B, which illustrate a side and top view of a strap member for a flip-flop style sandal, designated generally at 400. The sandal 400 also includes a strap member 420 and a toe post 410. The toe post 410 includes both a structural toe portion 414 and a padded toe portion 412. The padded toe portion 412 is disposed on the external surface of a portion of the structural toe portion 414. The structural toe portion 414 is cylindrically shaped and may be composed of a material with a particular hardness/durometer that maintains a particular structural rigidity (60-70 ESCA), including but not limited to plastic and rubber. The padded toe portion 412 may be composed of a softer material with a particular hardness/durometer that minimizes chaffing with a user's skin (20-40 ESCA), including but not limited to TPU, PVC, Silicone, and TPE. In the illustrated embodiment, the padded toe portion 412 is superficially wrapped so as to substantially cover the proximal side of the structural toe portion 414 leaving a gap on the distal side (see side and cross sectional views). The particular shape of the padded toe portion 412 is curved to correspond to the pattern of rubbing between a user's foot and the toe post 410. Therefore, the surface area of the padded toe portion 412 is configured to correspond to the location on the toe post 410 with the highest potential to cause chaffing. The illustrated padded toe portion 412 includes a wider region in proximity to the strap member 420 and a narrower region in proximity to the base member 405.

The strap member 420 in the illustrated embodiment also includes a structural strap portion 424 and a padded strap portion 422. The padded strap portion 422 is coupled over a portion of the structural strap portion 424. The padded strap portion 422 may be intercoupled with the padded toe portion 412 or may be a separate piece of material. The padded strap portion 422 extends on both the bottom and inner side of the strap member 420 in proximity to the toe post 410. Therefore, the padded strap portion 422 extends from the toe post 410 across the bottom surface of the strap member 420 to the top surface of the strap member 420. This unique shape and configuration of the padded strap member 422 is configured to correspond to the region on the strap member with the highest probability of rubbing. The structural strap portion 424 may be composed of a material with a hardness/durometer that maintains a particular structural rigidity (60-70 ESCA), including but not limited to plastic and rubber. The padded strap portion 422 may be composed of a softer material with a particular hardness/durometer that minimizes chaffing with a user's skin (20-40 ESCA), including but not limited to neoprene and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).

Reference is next made to FIGS. 5A-B, which illustrate a side and top view of a strap member for a flip-flop style sandal, designated generally at 500. The sandal 500 also includes a strap member 520 and a toe post 510. The toe post 510 includes both a structural toe portion 514 and a padded toe portion 512. The padded toe portion 512 is disposed on the external surface of a portion of the structural toe portion 514. The structural toe portion 514 is cylindrically shaped and may be composed of a material with a hardness/durometer that maintains a particular structural rigidity (60-70 ESCA), including but not limited to plastic and rubber. The padded toe portion 512 may be composed of a softer material with a particular hardness/durometer that minimizes chaffing with a user's skin (20-40 ESCA), including but not limited to neoprene and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). In the illustrated embodiment, the padded toe portion 512 is superficially wrapped so as to substantially cover the proximal side of the structural toe portion 514, leaving a gap on the distal side (see side and cross sectional views). The particular shape of the padded toe portion 512 is curved to correspond to the possible pattern of rubbing between a user's foot and the toe post 510. Therefore, the surface area of the padded toe portion 512 is configured to correspond to the location on the toe post 510 with the highest potential for chaffing. The illustrated padded toe portion 512 includes a wider region in proximity to the strap member 520 and a narrower region in proximity to the base member 505. The strap member 520 in the illustrated embodiment includes a single composition with a sufficient hardness to maintain structural integrity.

The strap member 520 in the illustrated embodiment also includes a structural strap portion 524 and a padded strap portion 522. The padded strap portion 522 is coupled over a portion of the structural strap portion 524. The padded strap portion 522 may be intercoupled with the padded toe portion 512 or may be a separate piece of material. The padded strap portion 522 extends on both the bottom and inner side of the strap member from the toe post 510 toward the lateral foot posts. Therefore, the padded strap portion 522 extends from the toe post 510 across the bottom surface of the strap member 520 to the top surface of the strap member 520. The padded strap portion 522 may be unilaterally longer on the medial or lateral side due to increased chaffing. This unique shape and configuration of the padded strap member 522 corresponds to the region on the strap member with the highest probability of rubbing. For example, if the base is contoured or slanted, the regions of the strap member 520 may be different than if the base is flat. The structural strap portion 524 may be composed of a material with a particular hardness/durometer that maintains a particular structural rigidity (60-70 ESCA), including but not limited to plastic and rubber. The padded strap portion 522 may be composed of a softer material with a particular hardness/durometer that minimizes chaffing with a user's skin (20-40 ESCA), including but not limited to TPU, PVC, Silicone, and TPE.

Reference is next made to FIGS. 6A-D, which illustrate an alternative embodiment of a strap member 620 with a unique padded strap portion 622 and padded toe portion 612 configuration. The strap member 620 and toe post 610 further include a structural strap portion 624 and a structural toe portion 614 respectively. In particular, the padded strap portion 622 includes an underside region adjacent to the toe post and a bumper region on the inside edge. The padded strap portion 622 is therefore specifically shaped to ergonomically correspond to the regions of higher abrasion with a user's foot. As illustrated, the padded strap portion 622 includes padded portions on both the underside of the strap (facing the base) and the inside edge (facing the heel region of the base). Therefore, the padded strap portion 622 is disposed on multiple sides of the strap member 620, including the underside and the inside edge. This multi-sided padded strap member configuration significantly reduces the pressure and chaffing between the strap member and the user's foot.

Reference is next made to FIGS. 7A-B, which illustrates an alternative embodiment of a strap member 720 in which the toe post 710 and lateral strap posts are configured to be chemically adherent to the surface of a base rather than routed through. The strap member 720 and toe post 710 further include a structural strap portion 724, a padded strap portion 722, a structural toe portion 714, and a padded toe portion 712 respectively.

It should be noted that various alternative system designs may be practiced in accordance with the present invention, including one or more portions or concepts of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1-7 or described above. Various other embodiments have been contemplated, including combinations in whole or in part of the embodiments described above. 

1. An open-toe footwear system comprising: a base member; a toe post coupled to the base member, wherein the toe post includes a structural toe portion and a padded toe portion; two lateral foot posts coupled to the base member; and a strap member intercoupled between the toe post and the two lateral foot posts, wherein the strap member includes a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the bottom surface is adjacent to the toe post, and wherein the strap member includes a structural strap portion and a padded strap portion.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the padded toe portion is superficially wrapped around the structural toe portion substantially covering the proximal side of the structural toe portion and creating a gap on the distal side of the structural toe portion.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the padded toe portion is superficially wrapped around the structural toe portion substantially encircling the structural toe portion.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the padded toe portion is oriented on the toe post to correspond to a region with the highest potential to cause user chaffing.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the padded toe portion includes a wider region adjacent to the strap member and a narrower region adjacent to the base.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the structural toe portion is composed of a material with a durometer within the range of 60-70 ESCA.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the padded toe portion is composed of a material with a durometer within the range of 20-40 ESCA.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the toe post further includes a bonding member disposed internally within the toe post between the structural toe portion and the padded toe portion.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein toe post further includes a mesh bonding member disposed between and coupled with the padded portion and the structural portion.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein toe post further includes a thread bonding member oriented through the center of the toe post and coupled to both the structural portion and the padded portion.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the padded strap portion extends from the toe post across the bottom surface and inside edge surface of the structural strap portion.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the padded strap portion is separated from the padded toe portion.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein padded strap portion is disposed on both the bottom and proximal side of the strap member
 420. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the padded strap portion extends between the toe post and the top surface of the strap member.
 15. The system of claim 1, wherein the padded strap portion is oriented on the strap member to correspond to a region with the highest potential to cause user chaffing.
 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the structural strap portion is composed of a material with a durometer within the range of 60-70 ESCA.
 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the padded strap portion is composed of a material with a durometer within the range of 20-40 ESCA.
 18. The system of claim 1, wherein padded strap portion extends unilaterally further toward one of the lateral foot posts on the strap member.
 19. An open-toe footwear system comprising: a base member; a toe post coupled to the base member, wherein the toe post includes a structural toe portion and a padded toe portion; two lateral foot posts coupled to the base member; and a strap member intercoupled between the toe post and the two lateral foot posts, wherein the strap member includes a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the bottom surface is adjacent to the toe post, and wherein the strap member includes a structural strap portion and a padded strap portion, and wherein the padded strap portion extends between the toe post and the top surface.
 20. An open-toe footwear system comprising: a base member; a toe post coupled to the base member, wherein the toe post includes a structural toe portion and a padded toe portion, and wherein the padded toe portion is superficially wrapped around the structural toe portion substantially covering the proximal side of the structural toe portion and creating a gap on the distal side of the structural toe portion; two lateral foot posts coupled to the base member; and a strap member intercoupled between the toe post and the two lateral foot posts, wherein the strap member includes a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the bottom surface is adjacent to the toe post, and wherein the strap member includes a structural strap portion and a padded strap portion. 